Getting started

MeshClient is a mesh radio client for handhelds. It lets you read and send messages, see who is on the mesh and change your radio’s settings from a TrimUI Brick, without a phone. It works with Meshtastic radios and also with MeshCore companion radios.

The Brick is the main target. Builds for macOS, Windows and a Linux command line also exist, running the same client.

What you need

• Something to run it on. A TrimUI Brick running NextUI, a Mac or Windows PC, or a Linux machine for the command line. See Installing.
• A radio. A Meshtastic or MeshCore node, such as a Heltec, a RAK or a T-Echo. The client reaches it over Bluetooth LE, a USB cable, or the network. See Connecting a radio.

You don’t need a phone at any point, including for setup. You can pair, set your region and choose your channels from the client.

The first five minutes

1. Install MeshClient from the Pak Store, then open it from Tools → MeshClient.
2. Switch your radio on. If it’s plugged in over USB, the client connects straight away. If it’s a Bluetooth radio you’ve used before, the client finds it on its own.
3. For a new Bluetooth radio, go to the Radio tab, press A on devices and pick the radio. If the radio shows a PIN on its screen, type it in.
4. Go to Settings → LoRa and check that the region is set for your country. A radio that has never been set up transmits nothing until it has one.
5. Open Messages, choose a channel and press Y to write a message.

Tip

Press SELECT on any screen for help with what’s on it. For a settings section, help opens at the row your cursor is on.

Where to go next

• Controls lists what every button does.
• Messages, Nodes and Map cover the main tabs.
• Settings explains how changing your radio’s configuration works, and why the radio reboots afterwards.
• Troubleshooting is the place to look when something doesn’t connect.